Description

The Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II is an American twin-engine, straight-wing single-seat jet aircraft designated only for close air support ( especially against armored vehicles and other ground targets with limited air defenses ). It's more commonly known by its nickname Warthog or Hog.

Its secondary mission is to direct other aircraft in attacks on ground targets ( airborne forward air control ). OA-10 is the designation for the planes used primarily in this role .

The A-10 is exceptionally tough, being able to survive direct hits from armor-piercing and high-explosive projectiles up to 23 mm.

Basic Arma Characteristics

Max speed: ~700km/h

Sensors:

• AN/AAS-35(V) Pave Penny - Laser spot tracker. Detects laser targets within 25 degrees, up to 10km away
• AN/ALR-69 Radar Warning Receiver

Available weapons

The A-10 was designed around the GAU-8 Avenger 30 mm rotary cannon which is its primary armament and the heaviest automatic cannon mounted on an aircraft. It also employs a wide variety of air-to-surface ordnance ranging from unguided bombs and rockets, to laser-guided bombs utilising the Pave Penny pod mounted externally, below the starboard side of the cockpit, and the AGM-65 Maverick missile, operated by the pilot from the internal TVM display on the right hand side of the cockpit.

The A-10A relies on external sources to illuminate targets for its laser-guided weapons. However, later versions of the aircraft, namely the A-10C, are capable of carrying their own targeting pod, integrated with improved Multi-Function Displays in a significantly upgraded cockpit.

N.B. Pylon 6 is a "wet" pylon that is only used to carry a centreline fuel tank during ferry flights. This pylon has no available weapons in Arma.

Bombs

• 500 lb (Pylons 1-5 / 7-11)
  • Mk 82
  • CBU-100
  • GBU-12
• 1000 lb (Pylons 3-5 / 7-9)
  • CBU-87
• BRU-42 Triple Ejector Rack (Pylons 3,4 / 8,9)
  • Mk 82
  • CBU-100

Rockets

• LAU-131 - 7x M151 (Pylons 2-5 / 7-10)

Missiles

• AIM-9 (Pylon 1 / 11)
• AGM-65 (Pylon 3 / 9)

Usage

TVM Display

TVM is used as the targeting system for AGM-65 Maverick. The display provides a live feed from the sensor on the nose of the missile, so will only provide targeting imagery so long as Mavericks are available in the aircraft's stores.

Once a point of interest is centred in the middle of the TVM crosshair, the standard pilot camera controls are be used to stabilise the view on that point, or lock a missile on to a target vehicle.